Re:Lax oversight allows Chicago police to avoid turning on t...
by AnimalMuppet on Monday November 16, 2020 @05:59PM
(#25118191)
> I wouldn't have thought much about it after the fact, except that the prosecution was visibly upset at the decision which made me realize that that was likely not what normally would have happened.
I'm cynical enough about lawyers (having seen a few in action) that I wonder if "visibly upset" wasn't trying to manipulate someone - either the judge, or the jury members in case they serve on a jury again some day.
Re:Lax oversight allows Chicago police to avoid turning on t...
by whimsicalism on Monday November 16, 2020 @06:20PM
(#25118370)
This is actually not uncommon at all for DUI cases, usually because jurors can empathize with the defendant more than in other cases (often of similar socioeconomic background, race, etc. which is sometimes less common for other criminal trials).
There's a reason that DUI defendants almost universally request jury trials.
As a jury we ended up deciding that the defendant was Not Guilty because without that filed paperwork, it was just two people's recollection of the events and we didn't feel the officer was more trustworthy.
I wouldn't have thought much about it after the fact, except that the prosecution was visibly upset at the decision which made me realize that that was likely not what normally would have happened.